A Promise of Friendship
by Gilly Jill
Summary: Oneshot fic about- who else?- Hanso and Brynn. Features two thugs with terrible accents, a hoof to the face, and some rather mushy endings that make you go "Aw." Set before and after TFR. Slight Brynnso-ness.


**Hello all!**

**I just had to write a Fanfiction about these two, since they're the cutest plot couple EVAR and I love them.**

**This idea popped into my head a while ago, but it played out much more dramatically in my head. The problem was, Hanso was totally OOC in it, and with a character like him it's hard to make something dramatic unless he's made of stone. **

**But yes, I hope I got their personalities correct, and I hope I got you all to say "Awww" at the end.**

**The first part of this fic is when they're about ten, and the second is right after TFR, so they're 17-18. **

**Hope you enjoy!  
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><p>Brynn was gasping for breath, her hair and tail flying out behind her as she ran for her life. Her paws scuffed up dust as she took a sharp turn and dove behind some barrels sitting outside a small shop.<p>

She forced herself to breathe slower, concentrating on the noise around her, listening for her pursuers. It wasn't long until she heard the quick footsteps that had been following her stop, and a voice, gravelly and rough like two stones scraping together sounded.

"Ey! Where'd she go?" The voice growled.

"I dunno. " Rasped another voice, "But she gotta be someplace. Bet she's just 'iding from us."

The voice that had talked before chuckled.

"But she can't 'ide long." There was a pause that nearly stopped Brynn's heart and then a, "'Ere little girlie! Come out, 'ere, we won't 'urt ya… much."

Brynn highly doubted this. In fact, she pressed herself even deeper into her hiding place.

The day had started out normally. She was standing guard outside the castle when a group of two thieves mugged an old lady. She ran over to stop them, but they ran off with the poor old lady's purse. After chasing after them for a long time, one of the thieves dropped the purse. Relieved, Brynn stooped down to pick up the discarded purse, but the worst was yet to come. She returned the bag to the lady and checked that she was unharmed-which she was- and then Brynn continued her duty. That is, until the thieves came back and attempted to stab her with a particularly pointy knife. Then things had gotten ugly.

Brynn didn't stand a chance against two armed thieves, and they knew it. They chased her all around Brightvale, trying to make her pay for spoiling their profit for the day. Brynn had tried to call for help, but no other guards seemed to be out, and Brynn was on her own.

Or so she thought.

"Guh. I'm gettin' too old fur this." The second voice grumbled. "I wish we 'ad some of those young-uns wit' us. Dey would be much better at findin' this girlie."

"Yeah." The first voice replied, "Like dat promisin' young-un… 'anso, was it?"

_Hanso? _Brynn thought in alarm. _He works with them?_

Sure, the young Ixi had been obviously mischievous, but did he directly work with these treacherous thieves? Certainly he wouldn't work with someone low enough to challenge a ten year old girl?

Brynn shuddered. _Perhaps the Thieves guild is more dangerous than I thought…. _She sucked a breath in, then realized how loud it was.

"EH? Ah, DER she is!" Cried the first voice. He slammed the barrels out of the way, revealing Brynn, huddling behind them.

Both thieves raised their knives.

"Dis'll teach ya to mess wif _our _profit." The second one cackled.

Brynn stumbled to her paws, drawing her sword. She tried to look brave, but inside her stomach was in knots.

_This is it…_ Brynn thought as they began to swing their knives. Blindly, she swung her sword, hoping to stop one of the blows, when…

"Hey, creeps! Pick on someone your _own _size."

Two hooves came over the top of Brynn's head, smacking into the thieves- one hoof per face- and down from the ceiling above Brynn came Hanso, grinning as the two thieves stumbled, mumbling profanities in surprise.

"Hanso?" Brynn blurted, before she realized her mistake.

The thieves, now recovered, stared at her in surprise. The first one mumbled, "Ya know 'im?"

"No! I said…um… That's so…. unexpected! The 'that's so' must have sounded like 'Hanso'." Brynn burst out.

The thieves seemed to puzzle this for a second, before they realized that they were in the middle of a battle, and had much more important things to take care of.

"Why're YOU 'elping dis lil' girl, 'anso?" The second thief growled.

"This is hardly a fair battle. Two against one? That's unfair, even for two thugs like yourselves. I came to even it out a bit." Hanso pulled out his dagger, his yellow eyes filled with the joy of the battle.

Brynn stepped shakily beside him, readying her sword, although still a little nervous and exhausted from the two thieves chasing her.

"Ehhh, we ain't stupid enough to fight a bunch' a young-uns'. 'Specially not wif 'anso 'ere, if we 'urt a 'air on 'is 'ead, the guildmaster's gonna kick us from here to next week!" The second thief snorted.

"You scared?" Hanso taunted, sticking his tounge out.

"Oh how I wish I could teach ya a lesson. But, I can't. She ain't got nothin' good on her anyways." The first thief replied, "Come on, Gortol, we got better things t'do then this." He added to his comrade.

The two thieves scurried off into the shadows.

"Ha, just what I thought!" Hanso cheered, turning to Brynn. "They're scared!"

Brynn, however, was not feeling the sense that she'd won. In fact, quite the opposite.

"Are you okay?" Hanso asked, looking concerned when Brynn said nothing.

Brynn turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "I didn't need your help, you know."

"Could'a fooled me." Hanso said with a smirk.

"What did they mean when they said the guildmaster would be angry at them if they wounded you?" Brynn asked, her voice filled with something like hurt.

"Well, Kanrik thinks I have a lot of potential, if you want the truth." Hanso replied. "I'm his apprentice, after all."

Brynn turned around to look at the blue Ixi, who was now sitting, defeated, on the ground.

"He thinks I'm an amazing thief. Sometimes I have my doubts though," He looked up at Brynn, "You know?"

Brynn sighed, sitting down. "Yeah, I guess I do."

And Brynn did. After all, every senior guard in Brightvale saw the potential in the young Kougra, and they never hesitated to tell her of her skill. She was the most gifted in sword fighting, and she was quick and good at thinking on her feet.

Brynn had to wonder though, was she really cut out for all this praise? She didn't save anyone on her duties. She had even let Hanso- a thief, sworn enemy of the guards- escape from time to time. Was he feeling like their friendship was wrong, like she did?

"Hanso, why can't you stop being a thief?" Brynn asked, "I mean, did you _see _those thugs? I don't want you to become one of them…"

Hanso looked at her for a second, and Brynn suddenly worried that she had hurt his feelings, but instead, he fell to the ground- in laughter.

"A-are you kidding? Me? Like _them_?" He laughed and laughed, his hooves kicking the air.

"You look like a total spaz." Brynn said with a smile.

Hanso stopped laughing, gasping for breath. "Geez, Brynn. You worry too much! What, you think I'm gonna go around dropping my H's just because I'm a thief. I mean, come on! My name is _Hanso._ I kind of have to pronounce my name right."

"No, no it's not that." Brynn said, looking away. "I meant, are you going to go around trying to ki- I mean- hurt innocent people?"

"Not all thieves are like that, Brynn. Look at Kanrik. He helped save Hannah and the Bori! He would never think of harming anyone. But he does have to make a living." Hanso looked at Brynn seriously. "And so do I. No one will ever accept me. I can't just stop being a thief. Kanrik tried. Most of the seniors have."

Hanso stood up.

"None of them succeeded. What makes you think I'm going to be any different?"

"I just…I don't want to lose you, Hanso. You're my friend. My only friend, and we should hate each other." Brynn sighed. "It isn't fair. I could help you get a job with the guard. I could put in a good word for you, you could escape the thieves' guild!" Brynn stood up too, feeling reenergized with her new idea.

Hanso shook his head. "Brynn, you know I'll never be truly accepted as a guard. People there know me as a thief. Plus, I don't _want _to escape the thieves' guild. The guys there are my buddies, my family. I couldn't just leave."

Brynn frowned, "But-"

Hanso cut her off. "You know I'll always be your friend, right? No matter what happens. But the same way, no matter how many times you bust me, I'm still gonna steal. It's just who I am. Nothing is going to change that."

Hanso turned to leave, but then thought of something.

"Brynn, you gotta promise me something, though."

"What?" Brynn asked, feeling a little betrayed by his words.

"Promise me that you'll stay my friend too." He turned towards her, smiling. "I don't think I could deal with not bumping into you every so often and having our little chats."

"Well…" Brynn started.

"Promise me, Brynn!" Hanso cried, crossing his arms, a stubborn expression on his face.

"Fine. I promise. I'll never stop being your friend."

"Sweet." Hanso turned back around and ran away, leaving Brynn standing alone in the alley.

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><p>"Hey, Brynn? What'cha doing?"<p>

"Paperwork, Hanso."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. It comes with being the head of Fyora's royal guards."

"Just sounds like kind of a drag to me." Hanso put his paw down on Brynn's papers, stopping her from writing anymore."

"Hey! You're smudging the ink!" Brynn looked up at him, glaring.

"That's no way to treat an old friend of yours. I got this for you, anyway." Hanso presented a gorgeous blue bracelet with an air faerie bubble at the center to Brynn, smiling.

"Where did you get that?" Brynn gasped, forgetting the paperwork.

"Where do you _think _I got it?" Hanso replied.

"You didn't steal it, did you?" Brynn asked, a tone of menace in her voice.

"What did you thi-"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION." Brynn shouted.

"Geez, Brynn, you worry too much." Hanso said, leaning back a little.

"Gah! Come on, we're returning this, _right now!_" Brynn grabbed his wrist and yanked him out the door.

"Hey, Brynn, come on. I do this type of stuff!" Hanso protested. "You of all pets should know that by now."

"If only you had joined the royal guard, Hanso, then I wouldn't have to return this bracelet!" Brynn replied angrily.

"Don't you remember what I told you? I'm a thief, nothing is going to change that." Hanso replied coolly. "Besides, I went through a lot to buy that."

Brynn stopped.

"You bought it?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, now please let go of my wrist. My paw's about to fall off." Hanso said.

"But it looks…expensive." Brynn held up the bracelet, dropping Hanso's wrist with her other paw.

"It was. Why are you asking me this stuff anyway?" Hanso smirked. "What, I can't buy things as a thief? I knew you would hate it if I stole it so I didn't."

"Oh." Brynn said softly. "Thanks Hanso."

"Don't mention it; after all, it is the anniversary of our promise." Hanso said.

"You still remember that?"

"Don't you?"

"Yeah." Brynn said, smiling to herself, "Yeah, I do."

"Great, cuz' I was wondering if you got me something too…" Hanso trailed off.

"Don't push it." Brynn smiled, then wrapped her arms around him in a hug.


End file.
